#dadtobe

Dear Baby Chen,

About 9 years ago, your father and I met through your Aunt Annie. To squash the whole fairytale concept, it was not love at first sight. I was already dating someone and your father was enjoying a carefree life. The following year I was no longer with that someone and wanted to live my best life as a single woman. I vowed I would not fall into another relationship so soon because I always jumped from one to another. Hope you’re not like me in this sense!

As 2 single gals, Aunt Annie & I were on a quest to rule the world as we always have. We loved to go out together, party, and make memories that last a lifetime. On a couple of those nights, I caught your father’s eye and he decided to make a move. He asked if I could teach him how to cook and I told him I’d be happy to. We went grocery shopping for coconut curry mussel noodles and headed to your grandparents’ house (po po & gong gong) to make it. Your father was not very impressed by the dish and he still does not know how to make it up until this day. It was the simplest and tastiest dish I could think of to teach him. Oh well! He can make a mean fried sunny side up egg though!

Following our meal, we went on a walk by Caesar’s Bay. This is really the place of our beginnings. The sun had already set, and the path was only lit by the few street lamps and the passing headlights on the Belt Parkway. We sat on a bench, cross legged, facing each other instead of the ocean. Conversation was flowing and we unknowingly did our own version of the 36 Questions That Lead to Love from psychologist, Dr. Arthur Aron. The New York Times and Cosmopolitan also wrote articles about it. It was more like 10-15 of our own questions. This may sound cheesy and gross, but I felt so much closer to your father and wanted to keep him forever. I love his analytical brain and his silliness. You’ll see it and love him for it, too.